Why homes work where hotels don’t

Flights, currency, food and entertainment all get the conversation flowing at the travellers dining table, but one of the most important aspects to consider when travelling should be your choice of accommodation. And here’s why.

You want something that reflects the local area
Staying in a high rise hotel doesn’t depict how the locals live. Getting into the small boroughs around town helps you to see the real way of life, mingling with the locals from that area. You get to experience the local food, markets, people and culture, which is often missing from busy hotel locations.

Around the world, people are bucking the habit of hotels by couchsurfing from city to city. As a way to experience new things from their chosen destination, this community led phenomenon originally set up by couchsurfing.org, has now expanded across the globe with a number of similar sites offering a similar service. The concept works by allowing members of a community to offer up their couches or spare beds to would be guests from within the community.

Commonly, couchsurfing is free, they clearly state no payment should exchange hands for the privilege. In exchange for the ‘couch’, hosts would normally expect a small token of appreciation in return, including cleaning the home or cooking dinner for the homeowner. The system is run pretty much entirely on trust, so one downside is that the community can be quite difficult to gain access to.

We all love a good night’s rest
Listening in on a hostel mate snoring away or having people crashing into your hotel door at 2am is not ideal if you like your 8 hours, so you should also consider a staying in a home.

In London, unhoteliers are changing the way people coming to the city stay and enjoy their time. onefinestay, who are a mix between a boutique hotel and a luxury vacation rentals business allow visitors to stay in high end homes in Central London, whilst the owners are out of town.

When staying in the home, guests have the benefits of a hotel (such as fluffy towels, fresh linens and luxury toiletries), but with the comforts of a real home.

For a shorter stay a short-let apartments could be a great alternative the hum-drum of a hotel room, so always an idea to consider.